After avenging the murders of his family, Gareth Lowell headed west to put his demons to rest. Though several years have passed, he still carries the weight of his sins and doesn’t believe he deserves to be loved – even by the beautiful Portia Townsend. He’s known Portia since she was a young girl, and though she’s blossomed into a voluptuous woman, he resists the deep longing she stirs in him.

When Portia realizes Gareth will never see her as anything more than the feisty, silly girl she once was, she decides to move on. Trouble is, Portia has once again gotten herself into a dangerous situation, and the only way out is to marry Gareth — if only temporarily. Turns out getting hitched was the easy part, while giving up a scorching passion is the last thing either are willing to admit…